BBC Radio Solent’s mid-morning presenter Alex Dyke has been suspended following “unacceptable comments” made on-air on Wednesday.
Alex was discussing breastfeeding in public and said it was unnatural and must be stopped. A petition has since been launched to remove him from the radio and the BBC has issued a statement saying: “Following unacceptable comments made on air yesterday, Alex Dyke has been suspended pending an investigation, so he will not be on air tomorrow.”
The topic was discussed with numerous callers, where Alex questioned why mums couldn’t ‘just stay at home and do it’. He also said the women who often do it are the ones who look like they’re brownie pack leaders, and that yummy mummys wouldn’t do it because they know it’s not a good look.
Callers argued breastfeeding is the most natural thing in the world, to which Alex said “so is making love but you wouldn’t want to see someone on the number 19 from Newport to Ryde doing that would you?”. One even said “What we need is for you to shut up you stupid man!”
Alex was on-air as normal today (Thursday) after the comments on Wednesday but he will not be on-air tomorrow (Friday).
Comments on social media are mostly calling for his resignation.
dear @BBC – Struggling to understand how breastfeeding could be more NATURAL? #AlexDyke really dropped a bollock the other day. #FireHim
— Tom Kelsall (@Stonelaughter) August 13, 2015
Complaint duly filed about #alexdyke @BBCRadioSolent Let us not confuse free speech and total ignorance #breastfeedingisnatural
— Paper Whispers (@PaperWhispers) August 13, 2015
No surprise the @ALEXDYKE1 show broadcast 12/08/2015 on @BBCRadioSolent has been removed from @BBCiPlayerRadio #alexdyke #guilty @bbcpress
— Jasper (@JaspTrader) August 13, 2015
@BBCRadioSolent @ALEXDYKE1 you ignorant fool. It takes a special kind of halfwit to brand #breastfeeding as unnatural #alexdyke #misogynist
— Emma Alofs-Williams (@EmmaAlofs) August 13, 2015